It’s a story about how you can supposedly positively influence your care, or that of a loved one, by being a complete and utter asshole. Could things at the hospital have gone better? Sure, they probably could. Perhaps you considered whether to call an ambulance for your mother, whom you suspected was having another TIA, but you didn’t. I shudder to think of how you would have treated the EMS providers, had you been present in time for them to provide care and transport. Your faux pas has even inspired GomerBlog to depart from medical satire and offer critique onTwitter about how you could have handled that like a sensitive 90’s guy and been a better behaved man. Wow. That’s one for the ol’ CV.

As for me, Dr. Edelstein, I would offer you my feedback here instead as I do not subscribe to Psychology Today:

Dear D!ck… I’m sorry, Peter: That your article appears in Psychology Today is a bit of an irony as your article paints you as one with a serious personality disorder telling others how they should expect to behave overaggressively when dealing with healthcare matters. Did you learn your professional manners at charm school? Perhaps the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine taught you to be verbally abusive to people who probably make a lot less money than you and are probably consistently working a lot harder than you. You sure aren’t reflecting well on your alma mater. The only credit I’ll give you is that you didn’t start throwing $h!t around like a spoiled brat, which, sadly, I have seen more than once. I think you gravely misinterpreted the book, How To Win Friends And Influence People. It would serve you well to watch the video from The Cleveland Clinic, Empathy: The Human Connection To Patient Care. It’s easy to find on YouTube and it will take less than five minutes of your precious time. This video highlights how you, and all of us, really, should consider patients and fellow caregivers alike. You see, you have no idea what the hospital staff you so easily chastise have gone or are going through, or what their shift has been like. You can’t see what is happening right outside your own ER room door. I agree that some things could have been done quicker or you and your mother (God bless her) could have been better informed, but your reaction is inexcusable. Had you done that on my shift, at the very least you’d be sitting in the waiting room with your very own security guard or peace officer to keep you company. I do, most sincerely, hope that your mother reads your article.

Now, as I penned this, I looked around to learn more about the good doctor and found he wrote a follow-up article just this very day here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/patient-power/201703/touching-very-raw-nerve, where the author backpedals about what he wrote after admitting to being crucified on social media by hundreds of nurses and a few doctors, and rightfully so. To this, I can admit to saying things in the heat of the moment, but I have learned that putting it in writing on the internet for all the world to see, then not bothering to update the original article to express how I shouldn’t have said what I said, and how I said it? That’s bad practice. You earned every bit of your tarnished reputation, sir. Say what you mean and mean what you say when it goes on public display.

Of note: Psychology Today has taken down the original article that brought forth the wrath of nurses scorned. When you try to access the article, you get this: